With hundreds of cookie recipes on my site (and even more in Sally’s Cookie Addiction), you’d think it would be hard for me to choose a favorite. I adore all the classics like chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and sugar cookies, but nothing is quite as satisfying as a batch of loaded oatmeal cookies. So chewy! So much texture! Virtually endless options for add-ins! I could go on and on…
Why You Should Try Loaded Oatmeal Cookies
Highly adaptable to use your favorite add-ins Incredible flavor from dark brown sugar, plus a touch of cinnamon and molasses (what I use in oatmeal raisin cookies, too!) Crisp edges with soft and chewy centers Added texture from whole oats and crunchy/chewy/crispy add-ins Only 30 minutes of cookie dough chilling before baking Perfect for parties, an after-school snack, quick dessert, bake sales, or any time that calls for cookies!
So Many Oatmeal Cookies!
I have recipes for classic oatmeal raisin cookies and nostalgic iced oatmeal cookies. Then come my special seasonal variations… zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the summer, brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies in the fall (readers go CRAZY for these!), and at Christmas, I always serve these iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies. And just when you think oatmeal cookies couldn’t get any better, I take two and sandwich them together with sweet frosting for homemade oatmeal creme pies. So many versions! But if you can’t find a variation from my 20+ oatmeal cookie recipes, look no further. Today’s recipe is just as soft and chewy as them all, but is written with your unique tastebuds in mind! With its mega-thick dough, these cookies hold a whopping 1.5 cups of your favorite add-ins—baking chips, candies, nuts, dried fruits, you name it. Use one or use many… you can truly make these cookies your own. Need a gluten-free option? Use certified gluten-free oats in these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
3 Key Ingredients for the Best Batch of Loaded Oatmeal Cookies
If you’ve made any of my oatmeal cookies before, the ingredients in this version will look familiar to you. My recipe for oatmeal scotchies goes into detail about the role each ingredient plays, so feel free to hop over there if you’re interested. But here’s a quick rundown of the 3 key ingredients that set my oatmeal cookie recipes apart from the rest:
Use Your Favorite Add-ins
These loaded oatmeal cookies remind me a lot of my magic 5 cookies or my holiday magic 5 cookies. In each of these recipes, the big variety of add-ins makes the cookies a true texture-lover’s dream. I have a few suggestions below, but feel free to enlist your tastebuds and come up with your own combinations. Plenty of room to play!
Peanut butter M&Ms, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips/chunks (what you see in these photos) Raisins, chopped pecans/walnuts, and dark chocolate chunks Pretzel pieces and chopped peanut butter cups (or use chocolate-covered pretzels like these chocolate-covered pretzel cookies) Peanut butter chips and chocolate chips Dried cranberries and white chocolate morsels Peanuts and chopped Snickers bars Semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and Sno-Caps (just like triple chocolate chip cookies!)
Final Success Tip: Chill Your Cookie Dough
Because this cookie dough can be a little sticky, chill the cookie dough for about 30 minutes before baking it. This is my #1 tip for how to prevent cookies from spreading. This is a relatively short chill time compared to, say, double chocolate chip cookies, but still important nonetheless. Just enough time for you to clean up, pre-heat your oven, and get your cookie scoop ready. (I use the medium-sized scoop for these cookies.) No time to chill? Try my 1 giant monster cookie instead. Lots of great texture and room for add-in customization there, too.
